Radio link parameter control in wireless personal communications system

Abstract

In personal communications systems, a wireless handset user is not generally aware of the quality of the radio link to the base station when a call is in progress. Novel mechanisms are disclosed by which the handset user is given up-to-date information concerning radio link parameters. According to the invention, the base station continuously analyzes the received signal of a handset and sends back to the handset a signal indicative of the link parameters. Upon receiving the signal, the handset informs the user by way of either processed sidetone or other indications.

We claim: 
     
       1. A wireless personal telecommunications system for duplex communication between a portable handset and a base station, which base station comprises analyzing means for analyzing wireless link parameters indicative of the quality of the wireless link between the portable handset and base station by monitoring the wireless signal received from the portable handset and sending means for sending back to the handset an indication of the quality of the wireless link, the invention being characterized in that the base station further includes: memory means for storing a plurality of templates which are indicative of predefined values of the wireless link parameters of the received wireless signal in response to the analyzing means;   selecting means for selecting, in response to the analyzing means, one of the templates; and   generating means for generating as the indication of the quality of the wireless link a digitally encoded signal which indicates said selected one of the templates.   
     
     
       2. The wireless personal telecommunications system for duplex communication between a portable handset and a base station according to claim 1, wherein the digitally encoded signal is sent to the portable handset through a signaling channel contained in the wireless link between the base station and portable handset. 
     
     
       3. The wireless personal telecommunications system for duplex communication between a portable handset and a base station according to claim 2, wherein the digitally encoded signal is sent to the handset as an in-band or out-of-band signal through a data channel contained in the wireless link between the base station and portable handset. 
     
     
       4. The wireless personal telecommunications system for duplex communication between a portable handset and a base station according to claim 1, wherein the portable handset further includes: memory means for storing a plurality of templates which are indicative of predefined values of the wireless link parameters of the received wireless signal;   selecting means for selecting, in response to the digitally encoded signal, one of the templates; and   generating means for generating a pre-programmed alarm to indicate the selected one of the templates.   
     
     
       5. The wireless personal telecommunications system for duplex communication between a portable handset and a base station according to claim 4, wherein the generating means is a sidetone processor which generates the sidetone indicative of the quality of wireless link according to one of a plurality of pre-programmed sidetone levels in response to the selected one of the templates. 
     
     
       6. In a wireless personal telecommunications system for duplex communication between a portable handset and a base station, which base station comprises analyzing means for analyzing wireless link parameters indicative of the quality of the wireless link between the portable handset and base station by monitoring the wireless signal received from the portable handset and sending means for sending back to the handset an indication of the quality of the wireless link; the invention being characterized in that a method for feeding back to the handset a signal indicative of the quality of wireless link between the base station and portable handset comprises steps of: the base station selecting, in response to the analyzing means, one of a plurality of stored templates indicative of the predefined quality of the wireless link; and sending to the portable handset a digitally encoded signal which indicates the selected one of the templates;   the portable handset selecting, in response to the digitally encoded signal, one of the templates which are stored in the handset and generating one of a plurality of preprogrammed sidetones indicative of the wireless link parameters of said received wireless signal in response to the selected one of the templates.   
     
     
       7. The method for feeding back to the handset a signal indicative of the quality of wireless link between the base station and portable handset in a wireless personal telecommunications system for duplex communication according to claim 6, wherein the step of the base station sending the digitally encoded signal is carried out in-band or out-band.